Jay Clemens
Aerojet Rocketdyne has tested a second RS-25 engine technology the company developed for NASA‘s Space Launch System.
The company said Friday it conducted the evaluation at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, where the 0528 engine was switched on for 650 seconds.
Aerojet Rocketdyne restarted the RS-25 engine testing process in 2015 to check the upgraded controllers’ compliance with the requirements of SLS prior to its launch in 2018.
In March, NASA completed a live-fire test of company-built E2059 engine for the SLS rocket at the Stennis Space Center.
“When we send astronauts to deep space destinations, including Mars, we want them to be riding on the safest, most reliable launch vehicle, which is why we are testing the RS-25 engines under multiple scenarios to ensure America’s next heavy-lift rocket will have the performance needed to take our astronauts deeper into space,” said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president.
Jim Paulsen, vice president for NASA programs at Aerojet Rocketdyne, added that “the RS-25 engines will endure more heat, pressure and thrust on SLS than on the space shuttle” during flight.
